Christoph Bernhard Freiherr von Galen (October 12, 1606–September 19, 1678), was prince-bishop of Münster. He was born into a noble Westphalian family. Reduced to poverty through the loss of his paternal inheritance, he took holy orders; but this did not prevent him from fighting on the side of the emperor Ferdinand III during the concluding stages of the Thirty Years' War. In 1650, he succeeded Ferdinand of Bavaria, archbishop of Cologne, as bishop of Münster. After restoring some degree of peace and prosperity in his principality, Galen had to contend with a formidable insurrection on the part of the citizens of Münster; but at length this was crushed, and the bishop, who maintained a strong army, became an important personage in Europe. In 1664, he was chosen one of the directors of the imperial army raised to fight the Turks; and after the peace which followed the Christian victory at St. Gotthard in August 1664, he aided Charles II of England in his Second Anglo-Dutch War with the Dutch, until the intervention of Louis XIV and Frederick William, Elector of Brandenburg compelled him to make a disadvantageous peace in 1666. When Galen again attacked the Dutch Republic six years later in the Franco-Dutch War, he was in alliance with Louis XIV, but he soon deserted his new friend, and fought for the emperor Leopold I against France. Afterwards in conjunction with Brandenburg and Denmark he attacked Charles XI of Sweden, and conquered the Duchy of Bremen. He died at Ahaus. Galen showed himself anxious to reform the church, but his chief energies were directed to increasing his power and prestige.
Trivia
In the Netherlands he is known to carry the nickname "Bommen Berend" (Bernhard Bombs) because he unsuccessfully lay siege to the Dutch city of Groningen using bombs. A holiday of this name is still celebrated in the city of Groningen on the 28th of August to celebrate the breaking of the siege. He is also known as "Zwijnenbisschop" (Swine bishop), a pun on the fact that he was born in a region famous for its hams.
References
- This article incorporates text from the Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition, a publication now in the public domain. The article is available here: [1]
